Queen Camilla has revealed how difficult it was to keep King Charles III's cancer diagnosis a secret before Buckingham Palace officially announced his illness in 2024. In a video released on the British royal family's social media accounts on Wednesday, August 19, the Queen Consort confessed that she had struggled not to speak out before the public was informed.
Speaking during a filmed interview with Laura Lee, the chief executive of the cancer support charity Maggie's, Camilla said that nobody could say anything at the time. She described the period leading up to the official announcement as quite difficult for her personally.
The Queen Consort recalled visiting a Maggie's care centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London on January 31, 2024. At the time of her visit, King Charles had already received his cancer diagnosis, but the news remained strictly private. Buckingham Palace did not release the official announcement until five days later, on February 5.
Reflecting on that visit to the NHS hospital in Hampstead, Camilla said she had almost said something while meeting people at the centre, but felt it was not the right time. She admitted that she just wanted to tell people the truth, but obviously could not do so before the official declaration. Lee commended the courage shown by the Queen Consort throughout that challenging period.
King Charles cancer treatment and outlook
King Charles, who is now 77 years old, is continuing his treatment for cancer. Buckingham Palace announced his diagnosis in early 2024, though the precise nature and stage of the monarch's cancer have never been publicly disclosed.
In December 2025, the King shared an update on his health, announcing that his condition had improved and that his medical team would be scaling back his ongoing treatment schedule.
During the newly released video, Camilla spoke about her husband's determined attitude after receiving his diagnosis, noting that nothing stopped him. She recalled that the King simply insisted that it was his way of doing things and that he would overcome the disease.
Support for families of cancer patients
The Queen Consort explained that going through the diagnosis with her husband gave her a firsthand understanding of the emotional challenges faced by relatives and carers of cancer patients.
Camilla observed that when a husband suddenly receives a cancer diagnosis, his partner is thrust into a position of having to support him while attempting to process and understand all the medical information at once.
Maggie's is a British charity that provides free practical, emotional, and social support to people affected by cancer and their loved ones across network centres adjacent to major hospitals in the United Kingdom.
